Cigar-wrapper-cutting machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W'. RODGER.

CIGAR WRAPPER CUTTING MACHINE.

No. 319,424. PatentedJune 2, 1885.

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(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. RODGER.

CIGAR WRAPPER CUTTING MACHINE.

N0 319.424. Patented June 2, 1885.

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\VILLIAM RODGER, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

ClGAR-WRAPPER-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,424, dated .ll'une 2, 1885.

Application filed July 24, 1884. (No model.)

.To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RODGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gigar-Wr'apper-Gutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional side elevation, Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 is a plan View, of .the machine. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged perspective detail views of portions of the feed mechanism detached, and Fig. 6 is a side view of the machine complete.

Ais the base or table, on which the hollow cutter B is secured, the latter being formed in the ordinary manner to cut a wrapper of the required form from a leaf of tobacco.

Ois a standard on the rear of the base A, and having pivoted in its upper end a lever-arm, D. This lever-arm is provided on one end with a flat metal plate, E, and on the other end with a counter-weight, F, as shown.

Secured to the under side of the plate E is a mallet or hammer, E of hard rubber or other suitablematerial, adapted to strike the top of the cutter or knife 13 when the lever-arm D is raised and lowered to cut the wrapper out of the leaf, which is stretched over the cutter.

Athin strip of soft rubber, hard paper, or other similar suitable flexible material, If, is interposed between the plate E and mallet E, around the outer edge, leaving a hollow space plate and mallet, as shown in Fig. 1.

Small holes I) are bored through the mallet E connecting the hollow space formed by the strip 15 with the interior of the cutter B, the holes ending near the cutting-edge of the knife, and will usually be formed slanting outward, as shown.

- The flexible strip tserves a double purpose viz., forming the open space between the mallet E" and plate E, and also serving as a cushion to deaden the force of the blow upon the plate F and lever D.

H is a small cylinder pivotally attached by ears 0 to the lever-arm D, and connected at its upper part by a flexible tube, K, with a hollow stud on top of the plate E, the interior of the cuttingknife B thus beingin direct communication with the interior of the cylinder II when the mallet is in contact with the cutter, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The upper part of the cylinderHis provided with small ports or perforations (1, covered on the under side with a downwardly-opening valve, 6, and having a piston-head, L, moving up and down in its interior. To this piston is attached an operatingrod, M, which is moved upward bya foot-treadle, M, attached thereto, and a spring, 9, is provided by which the piston will be returned to the bottom of the cylshort interval of time when the mallet is raised and another leaf is stretched over the cutter.

I have shown two methods of holding the follower plate N upward, one a simple friction-spring, N", which will allow the rodN to slip through it as the wrappers accumulate in the cutter, and force the follower-plate down, each blow of the mallet forcing the follower down the thickness of one leaf. A ten sion-screw, '0', will be arranged in the spring N to regulate the force of the spring and to take up wear on the rod.

The other method of holding the followerplate consists of a split spring lever, N adapted to be moved up and down on a fixed tapered standard, N, by a rod, N, connecting it with the treadle-rod M, the joint between the rod N and lever N being a knuckle or rule joint, so that the lever N is operated only at the last portion of the stroke of the treadle. By delicate adjustment of the rod M by the screw-adjustment m, the throw of the spring-lever N at each stroke may be made equal to just the thickness of a leaf of tobacco.

WVhen the springlever N moves upward, it will be spread apart by the taper of the standard N and release its grip on the rod N and not move it; but when moving down again the decrease of thickness of the standard will permit the lever to clamp the rod N and move it downward the. thickness of a leaf of tobacco. 1

I prefer the friction-tension shown at N, as being more simple and operating perfectly.

The operation is as follows: The leverarm D and its attached mallet E are raised by the rod M, and held elevated till a leaf of tobacco is stretched over the cutter B. Then the force applied to the rod is withdrawn, andithe mallet, falling by its own weight, cuts a wrapper out of theleaf the shape of the cutter B. The mallet is then raised again, the action ofraising the rod M causing the piston L to run up into the cylinder H and force a currentpf air through the tube K into the, cavity between the plate E and mallet E and 'thence' through the perforations 1), against the outer edge of the out wrapper, and blow it loose from the mallet and force it down into the cutter Bupon the follower-plate N, and thus prevent it adhering to the mallet. The followerplate N will be pushed up to the upper edge of the. cutter B before the first wrapper is cut,

The power of the spring 9 will be so adj ust'ed that the piston L will be moved upward into the cylinder H a sufficient distance, to com press the air therein to the required extent to force the cut wrapper loose from the malletbefore the compression is sufficient to overcome the weight of the lever D audits attachments, so that the compression of the air will bepresent to force the wrapper loose from the mallet just as soon as the mallet begins to rise. The .power of the spring 9 will also be so adjusted that it will be compressed to an extent equal to the required stroke of the piston-head L before the inertia of the lever D and its attachments will be overcome.

The counter-weight Fwill be adjusted to regulate the foree of the blow of the mallet,so as not to injure the cutter B by too hard blows, and equalize the strains and render the operation easier.

Having thus described my invention and set fii'rth its merits, what I claim as new is 1. In a cigar-wrapper-cutting machine, a

fixed cutter, a rising and fallinglever, and perforated mallet attached to said lever and operating inl connection with said-cutter, in combination with pneumatic appliances connected with said perforated mallet, which force a current of air down through the perforations in said mallet, substantially. as set forth, whereby the out wrappers are prevented from being lifted from said fixed cutter.

2. Afixed cutter,arising and falling lever, and aperforated mallet attached to said lever and operating in connection with said cutter, in combination with a cylinder attached to said lever, a tubeconnecting said cylinder and perforated mallet, a piston which works in said cylinder, and an operating-rod connected to said piston, substantially as set forth,whereby the upward movement of the malletis effected simultaneously with the forcing'of the air through the perforations, in said mallet.

' 3. The combination of the fixed cutter B, le- I ver D, carrying the perforated mallet E cylihder' H, provided with valve 0,, and pivoted to said lever, tubeK, connectingsaid cylinder and mallet, and connecting-rod M, having piston-head L working in said cylinder, substantially as hereinbefore shown and described.

1 4. The fixed cutter B, and the rising and falling lever D, in combination with a plate, E,

-fixed to said lever, a perforated mallet, E at tached to said plate, and a strip of flexible material, it, between the respective edges of the plate and mallet,whereby an inclosed space is left between said plate and mallet, with which space the perforations in said mallet communicate, substantially as set forth.

5. The cutter B, the follower-plate Ninsaid cutter, and the rod N attached to the bottom of said follower-plate,in combination with the tapered standard N 5 and the split spring-lever- N, pivoted to said standard and applied to said-rod N substantially as set forth.

i6. Rising and falling lever D, mallet E opcrating rod M, cutter B, follower-plate N, rod N tapered standard N and splitspring-lever N in combination with adjustable collar mon said rod M, and a connecting-rod, N, pivoted to said collar and connected with said lever N by a knuckle-joint, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have set any hand in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' WILLIAM RODGER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT RODGER, G. N. ,WOODWARD.

ICO 

